Umbrella handle

ABSTRACT

The handle of the umbrella telescopes on the stick in order to reduce the overall length of the stick and handle when the umbrella is collapsed to a closed condition. Snap catch means are provided near the bottom of the bore defined in the handle to engage a flange at the end of the stick and retain the handle in a telescoped condition relative to the stick and snap catch means are provided near the top opening of the handle to engage the flange of the stick and retain the handle in an extended position relative to the stick.

United States Patent [1 1 Weber Mar. 26, 1974 UMBRELLA HANDLE 3,678,9497/1972 Weber 135/25 x [75] inventor: Heinz Weber Hilden, Germany1,706,922 3/1929 Gundel 135/25 R [73] Assignee: Telesco Brophey Limited,East Primary Examiner Karl Bel] Montreal, Quebec, Canada Attorney,Agent, or FirmRobert E. Mitchell; Alan 22 Filed: June 14, 1972 Swabey 21A l. N 262 737 1 pp 0 57 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Applicafion Priority DataThe handle of the umbrella telescopes on the stick in J 15 1971 G2129559 order to reduce the overall length of the stick and many handlewhen the umbrella is collapsed to a closed condition. Snap catch meansare provided near the bot- 135/20 135/46 tom of the bore defined in thehandle to engage a [58] 26 37 38 flange at the end of the stick andretain the handle in le 0 earc a telescoped condition relative to thestick and snap catch means are provided near the top opening of thehandle to engage the flange of the stick and retain the [56] SZZE SZEhandle in an extended position relative to the stick. 1,707,910 4/1929Haupt 135/44 x 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENIEBIARZWN 3.799.180

SHEET 2 OF 2 \J V/ (1:11P: q 7

FIG. 5

UMBRELLA HANDLE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of Invention Thepresent invention relates to a telescopic umbrella and particularly to ahandle adapted to be telescoped relative to the stick.

2. Description of Prior Art In the development of the telescopicumbrella, the aim has been to reduce the size of the umbrella as much aspossible when the umbrella is in a closed storing position, whilemaintaining provisions of stability and size when the umbrella is in anopen position, similar to a non-telescopic umbrella.

In applicants copending applications, United States Ser. No. 090,967,filed Nov. 19, 1970, Heinz Weber now US. Pat. No. 3,678,949, and Ser.No. l64,736, filed July 21, 197], Heinz Weber, there is described ahandle which can be telescoped on the stick. In the former application,the handle slides relative to the flange on the end of the umbrellastick, but no locking means are provided for locking the handle in anopen or-telescoped position. In the latter application, sophisticatedlocking means are provided in the flange attached to the stick andcooperating with catch means in the handle. These locking means whichinclude various types of spring devices engage the catch means in thehandle, either in the fully extended position or in the umbrella closedposition.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to provide atelescopic handle relative to an umbrella stick which is an improvementover the above devices and which is more simple and economic tomanufacture.

In a construction in accordance with the present invention, the handleis provided with a bore and the umbrella stick is hollow and the stickmounts a flange having a periphery corresponding to the cross section ofthe bore of the handle, such that the wall of the bore of the handlewill be in sliding cooperation with the periphery of the flange. Thereis a guide stem extending from the bottom wall of the handle andextending within the hollow stick. The wall of the bore of the handleincludes chamfered projections extending inwardly of the bore, near theopen end of the handle and near the bottom end of the handle. Theperiphery of the flange is adapted to engage the chamfered projectionsand be locked therewith. Snap action is provided by the inherentresiliency of the wall of the handle.

In a more specific embodiment of the present invention, the guide stemis reinforced by the provision of a tubular metal sleeve fitted over thestem and adapted to engage, in sliding engagement, the inner surface ofthe hollow stick end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus generally described thenature of the invention, it shall be described in more detail, withparticular reference to the accompanying drawings, showing by way ofillustration, preferred embodiments thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view in side elevation of an umbrella in an openposition;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the umbrella showing a detailof the handle;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the handle shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross. section taken along lines IV-IV of FIG. 2;and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken along lines VV ofFIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, andparticularly to FIG. 1, the umbrella, a flat umbrella in the presentembodiment, that is, where the crown is of somewhat rectangular shape,is provided with a telescopic stick 1 and a flattened handle 2 arrangedon the stick section I.

The stick section 1 which is hollow mounts a flange 45 having anintegral sleeve 48 force fitted onto the end of the stick section 1. Theflange 45 is adapted to slide in a bore 46 defined in the handle 2. Theperiphery of the flange 45 corresponds to the cross section of the bore46 in the handle 2 with little clearance therebetween, only sufficientto reduce friction when the handle is being slid relative to the flange45. A guide pin 47 molded integrally with the bottom wall 2' of thehandle 2 slides within the hollow stick 1'. The bottom wall 2' includesa separate cap member including projections 71 fitted into recesses 72in the wall of the handle 2.

The sleeve 48 includes an axial slot 73 adapted to accommodate thelocking lever 51 of a main runner 41 when the umbrella is collapsed.

A metal stabilizing tube 74 extends over the whole length of the guidestem 47 and is fixed to the bottom wall 2 by means of a flange 75. Themetal tube 74 engages the inner surface of the stick section 1' andreduces wear of the guide stem 47, thereby reducing the free play of thehandle relative to the stick section 1'. This relatively stable guidanceof the elements is necessary to provide proper functioning of the snaptype lock. Catch projections 55 are provided at the upper end of thebore of the handle 2, that is, on inner wall 2" and are moldedintegrally with the material of the wall of the handle. Each catchprojection 55 has chamfered surfaces 56 and 57 and the angle of thechamfered surface 56 is steeper than that of chamfered surface 57.

Projections 55 cooperate directly with the edges 54 of the flange 45.The necessary spring force for the snap type catch is derived from theinherent resiliency of the wall of the handle (molded plastic). Theedges 54 of the flange 45 are also slightly chamfered at 76 so as toallow the initial movement of the telescoping of the handle onto thestick. There are abutments provided in the upper corners of the bore 46and are identified by the numeral 77 as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Theseabutments 77 prevent the handle from being removed completely from thestick and also provide little or no play of the handle relative to thestick when the handle is locked by means of the projections 55 in theupper extended position.

These abutments 77 are chamfered on the top side thereof at 77' tofacilitate the entrance of the handle onto the stick allowing the flangeto be forced into the handle, but the abutments are flat on theunderside thereof so as to prevent the handle from being removed.

Additional catch projections 58 are provided which are similar to catchprojections 55 and are provided near the bottom of the bore 46. Theseare similarly equipped with chamfered surfaces 59 and 60. Alternatively,the bottom portion of the bore may be provided with a friction-tight fitwith the flange.

I claim:

In an mb ll fr hav n slesspnis st qkanfl, a handle provided with anaxial bore, the umbrella stick having an integral flange at a lowerportion having a periphery corresponding to the cross section of theaxial bore of the handle and in telescoped relation within in the boreof the handle such that the wall of the bore of the handle will be insliding cooperation with the periphery of the flange a guide stemextending axially from the bottom of the bore of the handle andextending within the lower portion of the hollow stick; the wall of thebore of the handle including axially spaced chamfered projectionsextending inwardly of the bore near the open end of the handle and nearthe bottom of the bore of the handle; the periphery of the flange beingengageable with the chamfered projections and functioning to be lockedtherewith when the handle is in either a telescoped position or when thehandle is in a fully extended position; and means to retain the flangein said handle above the topmost projections.

2. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the flange of thestick engages the projections to be locked therewith in a snap action,said handle having inherent resiliency providing said snap action.

3. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the inwardlyextending projections have a first axially sloped surface extending fromwithin the bore axially outwardly, and a second sloped surface fromdirection without the bore, axially inwardly, the second sloped surfacebeing steeper than the first sloped surface.

4. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein the guide stem isreinforced by an outer tubular metal sleeve fitted thereover which isadapted to slidably engage the inner surface of the hollow stick.

1. An an umbrella frame having a telescopic stick and a handle providedwith an axial bore, the umbrella stick having an integral flange at alower portion having a periphery corresponding to the cross section ofthe axial bore of the handle and in telescoped relation within in thebore of the handle such that the wall of the bore of the handle will bein sliding cooperation with the periphery of the flange , a guide stemextending axially from the bottom of the bore of the handle andextending within the lower portion of the hollow stick; the wall of thebore of the handle including axially spaced chamfered projectionsextending inwardly of the bore near the open end of the handle and nearthe bottom of the bore of the handle; the periphery of the flange beingengageable with the chamfered projections and functioning to be lockedtherewith when the handle is in either a telescoped position or when thehandle is in a fully extended position; and means to retain the flangein said handle above the topmost projections.
 2. An umbrella handle asdefined in claim 1 wherein the flange of the stick engages theprojections to be locked therewith in a snap action, said handle havinginherent resiliency providing said snap action.
 3. An umbrella handle asdefined in claim 1 wherein the inwardly extending projections have afirst axially sloped surface extending from within the bore axiallyoutwardly, and a second sloped surface from direction without the bore,axially inwardly, the second sloped surface being steeper than the firstsloped surface.
 4. An umbrella handle as defined in claim 1 wherein theguide stem is reinforced by an outer tubular metal sleeve fittedthereover which is adapted to slidably engage the inner surface of thehollow stick.